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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331942">Navy Nights</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplycec/pseuds/simplycec'>simplycec</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lonely Shades of Blue [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bittersweet, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, will really went: i do not feel for her</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:20:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplycec/pseuds/simplycec</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Navy blue, like the woes of her distant sorrows that William could never reach.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>William Hawkes/Kym Ladell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lonely Shades of Blue [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Navy Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Series Inspiration [ listen to it, it's important ]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoc1G7XZUtU</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking home together had become a habit that the two accepted like forced retirement. Although he resented her rambling, Will had learned to welcome Kym’s nightly enthusiasm with half-hearted glances and eye-rolls that she never thought much of. The skips in her step kept the night alive, and he grew accustomed to the light she brought forth. Maybe it was because he grew so familiar with the noise that his heart became confused at her silence. </p><p>His second-in-command had been relatively quiet the entire day, eyes casted down and lacking their usual glee. He didn’t speak much of it at first—work had overtaken most of his attention, but he couldn’t neglect the deafening silence as he strode beside her. Perhaps something had happened the night before, though nothing rang a bell aside from a mission. Even then, it was a rather small one, and he couldn’t pinpoint what could’ve caused such distraught within her.</p><p>The lieutenant threw her a faraway glance, and when he was met with eyes mixed in a distant aching, he couldn’t help but break the reticence. </p><p>“Alright, what’s wrong?”</p><p>She snapped out of her silent daze, peering up at him with startled hues before they gradually melted back into something unreadable. Perhaps it was the misery of longing, but he couldn’t be sure.</p><p>“Oh, it was nothing.” Kym offered him a tired half-summer smile, one that never matched her everyday light. “I was just thinking about things.”</p><p>Though dubious, he nonetheless returned a grin just as hesitant. </p><p>“You know you can tell me what’s wrong, right?”</p><p>“I would, but nothing's wrong.” She rolled her eyes, though her tone conveyed her appreciation. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”</p><p>Kym glanced away from him like she always would, and though he only caught a glimpse, her lonely look carved tombstones into the night sky in ways no one ever should.</p><p>~~~</p><p>William sat perched aside his open window, inviting the night air to seep into his room like esteemed guests. Anything to clear his mind.</p><p>He thought back to the way his sergeant looked as they walked home together. Her crestfallen eyes and too-tired shoulders imprinted themselves into his heart like a suicide-letter—unexpected and agonizing.</p><p>“She wasn’t okay,” he whispered to the sky. “And I don’t even know why.”</p><p>Kym had brushed off his worried glances in the past, constantly keeping him at an arm’s distance. She did so right after they had tragically stumbled upon Harvey’s corpse, and she did it again at his funeral too. </p><p>
  <i>“It was nothing,” she said with her somber-tinted smile. “Don’t worry about it. I was just shaken.”</i>
</p><p>His heart began bending at the despondent memory.</p><p>“She always says she’s fine and then comes up with whatever excuse happens to be convenient for her,” he complained, letting out a dry laugh. The stars above him twinkled in pity.</p><p>“She worries me,” he said, this time not to the moon, but rather, to himself. He closed his eyes as his brows began to furrow</p><p>He paused and reopened them, letting his gaze fall back onto the dimly-lit streets. The way he had watched her dream beneath the night sky, blanketed by the ethereal promise of hope and kindness planted an aching within him that only crescendoed as her smile ran past him like fleeting youth.</p><p>He could recount every ounce of wonder that she would scatter across the office every time she walked in. Maybe she was a satellite.</p><p>The idea of her kindled grin sent a tidal wave of longing through his head.</p><p>“How do I stop the bleeding to a wound she won’t let me see?”</p><p>He sighed, gazing back up at the dotted ink-drenched sky, searching in the moon for some sort of prayer. He wanted to beg again the unanswered question, though he knew no god would answer.</p><p>~~~</p><p>The next night over, Will should’ve been at home. Kym should’ve been at home. They both should’ve been at home.</p><p>Instead, the two sat together on an infirmary bed with the lieutenant bitterly cleaning a wound on his sergeant’s arm.</p><p>“Ow, Will,” she pleaded, the alcohol burning her wound with an angry rage that shot white pain through her head. “Be gentle.”</p><p>He didn’t reply, though his movements did soften when he began bandaging her sliced forearm. His expression was harsh, and it took no genius to figure out that he was upset. </p><p>“I specifically told you <i>not</i> to wander around the shooting range at night because things like <i>this</i> would happen,” he finally spoke, voice stern and settled with growing irritation. “For <i>once</i>, why can’t you listen to me?”</p><p>“Will—”</p><p>“You can’t even follow a simple request, and look where that got you.”</p><p>“Will I—,”</p><p>“I don’t like worrying about you.” He finally looked up, hand still holding her now-bandaged arm. His blue-slated eyes were alight with annoyance, yet in it lingered an uneasiness that left Kym’s words dying on her lips.</p><p>“You’re right,” she smiled in reassurance. “I should’ve listened.”</p><p>Again, he fell silent and opted to put away the medical supplies instead. At her cooperation (albeit unexpected), his anger began to fade away amidst the wind, yet a part of him still clung onto that petty grudge. </p><p>“I wasn’t aware you cared so much, Lieutenant,” she teased. Will didn’t need to look at her to hear the arrogance in her grin</p><p><i>I told the stars about you</i>, he wanted to retort, yet he bit his tongue before he could. <i>Of course I care.</i></p><p>He reached to place the kit inside the cabinet where it belonged and headed for the infirmary door without another word.</p><p>“Will,” she complained, trying to catch up to him. “Come on, don’t be like that.”</p><p>Though he never made a full stop, he slowed his steps and allowed her to walk beside him. If Kym noticed, she didn’t comment on it, nor did she further continue her teasing in fear he really would leave her. </p><p>Will reached for her beside him, and before the sergeant could react, he ruffled her hair too aggressively for it to be kind and too gently for it to hurt.</p><p>“You idiot, of course I’m going to care,” he scolded. “I swear, I should have a raise for babysitting you all the time.”</p><p>“Excuse me,” she bounced back, the softness in her previous pleads leaving in a wisp of irritation. “I don’t need a nanny, you belligerent rock.”</p><p>They continued their banter through the back-and-forths, letting their voices fade into distant echoes against the night. It was silly and dumb, though strangely enough, Will couldn’t bring himself to call it unbearable. Perhaps he softened for her. Perhaps he was just tired.</p><p>Still—she gentled the roars of his ocean eyes, and he didn’t quite mind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>someone said last fic (distant euphoria) that there was "won't say I'm in love" playing in the bg and I couldn't stop thinking abt it.<br/>you have no idea how rushed this one was :,)<br/>Anyways have a whole series dedicated to two idiots being in denial.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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